One Complete Heart
by Shade the Hero Project-X
Summary: A new threat rises from the darkness and everyone is called back into action. There's just one problem, Sora is missing. Do Riku and the others have what it takes to defeat this dangerous enemy, or will the identity of their greatest foe shock them into defeat?
1. Prologue

_**Well this is a twist. This story is my AU version of what I think is the whole point of Kingdom Hearts series. I know the third game is being made and should be out by the end of this year or into early next year. This story will be as canon as possible, limited only to the extent of my knowledge of the Kingdom Hearts series. **_

_**Disclaimer! I do not own Kingdom Hearts, that honor belongs to Tetsuya Nomura, Square Enix and Disney. I do not own the cover art.**_

_**This is going to be one of my bigger, grander stories so, i hope you enjoy. :)**_

* * *

_**As I count the stars I often wonder... **_

_**...Why does darkness surround them?**_

_**Is it because people are always fighting the darkness in their own hearts?**_

_**Have they given in and let darkness take hold?**_

_**Is there no one who can make them see that light is so much stronger?**_

_**This universe needs a hero, one who can conquer the darkness...**_

_**...One who's heart is filled with light...**_

_**Perhaps then the stars can form a constellation.**_

**Prologue**

It was the dead of night as three cloaked strangers arrived on Destiny Islands. At a nod from the one in the middle the two on either side tied up the boat to the docks as they made their way ashore. They were on a mission, one they could not fail. Everything they had worked for led up to this one important task.

They made their way inside the secret cave that led to the world's heart. It was there that they found a door with no handle. It was sealed by a powerful force that couldn't be broken, except with one tool. The leader nodded to the others who melded into the shadows of the cave as he pulled out a sword. It was no ordinary sword. It's blade was pitch black and it seemed to sing out with a hollow voice, one filled with endless nightmares. The hilt of the blade was like that of a tombstone shaped into a cross and carried the same ominous aura as a graveyard.

He brought the blade close to the door and touched it. A loud piercing scream echoed from the blade in a powerful wave. The cry carried itself out of cave and over the surrounding area. But, no one heard it, it's cry was silent to everyone who resided in that world. All except for one person.

Sora sat bolt-upright from his bed. His heart pounding in his chest as that piercing cry woke him. Without giving it a second thought, he knew something was wrong and he also somehow knew where it was coming from. He quickly got dressed, making sure he was wearing the magical clothes the three good fairies had given him.

Sora thought back to that feeling he had when he locked the door to his own world some time ago. This chilling echo carried the same feeling, only it was different. Something was wrong and he had to make sure no one was trying to get to the core of his own world.

Once he arrived on the small island, Sora dashed for the secret cave. He stopped at the entrance as a new feeling engulfed him: fear. It was as if something very evil was lurking within and despite the fact that he wielded the power of light, he still had to work up the courage to venture in.

As he slowly made his way inside Sora noticed that everything seemed okay. The paintings on the cave walls had been untouched and there wasn't a single heartless in sight. As Sora rounded the corner he immediately noticed the cloaked figure standing in front of the door.

"Who are you?" Sora asked.

The cloaked figure turned to meet Sora's gaze, though Sora couldn't see anything through the dark hood.

"Finally, you've come." His voice was cold, like a hollow whisper that chilled you to the bone. "We've been expecting you, mighty wielder of the Keyblade. But alas, you have not yet awakened to your true power, my king."

"What are you talking about?" Sora asked, getting more confused by the minute.

The hooded man ignored Sora's question and continued. "These worlds were created to serve you. We, your noble knights, have come to help you make these peasants realize their true purpose in life, to bow down at your feet as you rule over all."

The keyblade appeared in Sora's right hand as he glared at the stranger. "Alright, that's enough! The only thing you're going to realize is how quickly I can beat you!"

The hooded figure chuckled. "The power of light can never defeat me, boy."

He raised his sword and flicked the blade with his finger, causing a horrible, hitch-pitch cry to ring out. Sora covered his ears, but the cry was so powerful it forced him to his knees. The keyblade fell from his grip and the hooded figure nodded to the other two who had concealed themselves. Now was the time for them to strike.

Another cry echoed from the cave, but it didn't come from the dark blade.

* * *

**_I seem to be developing a habit for writing short prologues. hopefully, it only enhances the quality of the story, This fic would also fall into the Mystery category, but we're only allowed two so, ...eh. *shrug* _**

**_anyways, hope you enjoyed the first of many chapters. Please drop a review and let me know what you think. :)_**


	2. Chapter One: Gone Again

**Chapter One**

A new day dawned upon the fair world of Radiant Gardens as Cid prepared to open his shop. It had taken some time to get everything properly set up after the war with the Heartless, but things were starting to really pick up. Yuffie came from around the back and set a heavy box down at her feet.

"Phew, that's the last of the spare parts." She said wiping her brow.

"Thanks." Cid replied as he was stocking the shelves. "I really got to hand it to that old geezer. That ice cream of his has really brought in some good business."

Yuffie was only half-listening as a glowing item had attracted her attention. As she got closer she nearly tripped over a box of unshelved elixirs. Cid looked over at her. "Watch what yer doin'! That stuff ain't cheap, ya hear?"

"Sorry Cid." The ninja replied as she started stocking the items she nearly tripped over.

The store bell rang as the door opened. Cid smiled as he looked up. "Only been open for ten minutes and we already have a costumer. He stepped up to the till with a friendly face. "Welcome to Cid's Place! We got every healing item you could hope for, elixers, protect chains, element rings and various other trinkets. Now, what exactly are ya..."

He stopped in mid sentence at the sight that greeted him. "Y-Yuffie! Get over here!" He shouted as he came around the counter to help the two teens who had collapsed at the front door. One, a girl with shoulder-length red hair and a boy with silver hair.

Yuffie recognized them right away. "Kairi! Riku!" She said, shocked to see them in such a rough state. They seemed like they had been through something really horrible."I'll go find Leon!" She blurted as she took the side door and made a mad dash for Merlin's house where Leon had been staying.

* * *

**_...Sometime Later... _**

Riku and Kairi had been laid into two beds as the group that had gathered by Yuffie tried to figure out what had happened to them. The ninja seemed to have called almost everyone. Merlin and Aerith were checking the status of both teens while the others conversed.

"This doesn't make sense, who could have done this to them?" Yuffie asked, it was clear that she was scared for them.

"I'm not sure," Leon replied, "Riku doesn't seem like the type that can be brought down so easily and from what Sora's told me about him, it seems Riku's almost a better fighter then he is..."

"But where is Sora?" Yuffie asked. "Shouldn't he be with his friends?"

"Not if he's traveling around with those other two." Cid replied.

"Regardless, we have to send word out to him." Leon flatly stated.

A painful moan silenced the three as they all directed their gaze towards the bed. Riku was slowly beginning to come to. Aerith dabbed a damp cloth to his forehead as he slowly opened his eyes. "...where..."

"Hush, it's alright, you're safe." Aerith told him in a soft motherly tone.

"..k-Kairi?" He asked, in a weak, hoarse voice.

"She's fine." Aerith replied. "She hasn't woken up yet."

Riku sighed with relief. "Good, I want to be by her side...when she wakes."

"What happened?" Leon asked.

"Now, now Leon, this boy has been through quite an ordeal. Give him time to get his strength back before you start interrogating him." Merlin proclaimed, adjusting his glasses.

Leon merely folded his arms, closed his eyes and leaned against the wall, choosing to take the silent road, rather than lose his cool.

Riku directed his gaze towards the ceiling. "I have to tell the king..."

"Tell the king what?" Yuffie asked which annoyed Leon, why did they get to ask him questions while he couldn't?

Riku's expression was one of utter defeat. "We lost our home again. Destiny Islands is gone."

...

A shocked silence filled the room. For a few moments no one dared to voice what they thought that meant. Finally Cid could take the silence no longer.

"What do ya mean its gone?!"

Riku had managed to pull himself into a sitting position. "It's just as it sounds. The entire world is gone and so is everyone else who lives in it."

"But what about Sora?!" Aerith couldn't help asking as she brought her hands to her mouth.

"I don't know where he is, The last time I saw him was over a week ago, long before our world began to crumble." Riku replied, his elbows supporting the weight of his upper body against his legs.

"I know it's hard," Merlin began, "but please, tell us what happened and try to include every detail."

Riku kept his gaze trained ahead of him, but he was seeing the events replay in his mind...

* * *

_It was just another day on the island. School had ended and I went looking for Kairi and Sora, I figured we could spend the day doing things we used to do before we learned that there were other worlds out there to explore. I just wanted a normal day, perhaps that was a bit selfish of me. Kairi had a lot of homework to do and Sora, well,... I'm sure being the wielder of the Keyblade keeps him busy. _

_When I didn't see them right away I decided to look at the cove, wondering if they had started without me and began building a raft, like we were originally going to use to explore other worlds. The cove was empty. I tried the tree house next. The result was the same. That's when I decided to explore our secret spot. _

_When I got there, I noticed something strange, the air outside the cave was warm as usual, but it was cold inside the cave, I looked around and didn't see anything out of place, except for the door... Sora had locked the door some time ago, it was the keyhole to our world, but, it had been unlocked somehow. I got closer to get a better look when the door burst open and I was forced back._

_I had no choice but to run, when I got out of the cave I ran into Kairi, she had just arrived on the island when it started. I saw her looking up and as I did the same I saw a large orb of darkness hovering in the sky. Shadow and Soldier heartless were everywhere. I fought them off, but there was nothing more I could do and before long, our world was lost, just like before,...swallowed by the darkness. _

_I don't know how, but Kairi and I ended up at the edge of town, She had fallen unconscious by what happened and I was trying to head for Merlin's house...I heard Yuffie's voice and...that's all I can remember._

* * *

No one knew exactly what to say, after Riku told what happened. The day quickly turned to night and everyone was still in a state of shock. Several questions kept going through their minds: What were the heartless doing on Destiny Islands, why was the door unlocked, and most importantly, who unlocked it?

As the moon rose higher above the city skyline, Yuffie couldn't help but notice Riku's gloomy disposition. He had gotten back into bed, as he was still not strong enough to move around, but now he was sitting up, looking down at his hands, one of which was clenched. She headed over and sat down at the foot of the bed.

She understood the pain he was going through, having lost her own world when Maleficent came and claimed their world as her own personal base of operations. She remembered how scary it was, to see everything you've ever known vanish into darkness. Riku seemed to be handling it pretty well, but she guessed it was because he had once resided in darkness.

"It'll be okay, Riku. We'll get word out to Sora and the king and find a way to fix this." She gave him a warm smile, but his gaze remained focused on his clenched hand.

"I don't think Sora's coming..." He finally admitted.

Yuffie tilted her head. "Why wouldn't he? He is your best friend after all, and Destiny Islands was his home to."

Riku looked up at her, His usually calm, confident eyes were filled with worry and fear. Yuffie was taken aback by his chilling expression but focused on his hand as he brought it up in front of her.

"I found this in the cave..." He replied as he opened his hand revealing a silver mouse-shaped keychain. It was the king's symbol and worse, it was once attached to the end of the Keyblade.

* * *

_**Yes, it's another short chapter, but they should be getting longer soon. Thank you to those who have faved, and reviewed so far. ^^ **_

_**Oh my, Riku's not looking so good, but, he appears to have found a Hidden Mickey! That or our favorite keyblade master is in serious trouble. Stay Tuned!**_

_**A review would be great, even if it's just to say, "Eh, I've read better." I always take reviews at constructive criticism. **_

_**Chapter Two: coming soon!**_


	3. Chapter Two: A Promise Adrift

_**I know this took a while and I apologize, Aside from trying to write for other stories as well I got hit with a minor case of writer's block for this fic. Thankfully it was short-lived. Anyways, **_

_**Disclaimer! Kingdom Hearts and all related characters belong to Disney and Square Enix, Plot and Oc's belong to me.**_

* * *

**Chapter Two: A Promise Adrift  
**

Two days had passed since Riku arrived in Radiant Gardens and by the next morning after arriving he had regained most of his strength. He wanted to head out and start trying to find the answers to all the questions that he had been asking himself, but he dare not leave Kairi's side. The red-head still hadn't awakened and it was starting to worry Riku. Merlin tried convincing him it was due to the shock and it was merely a matter of time, but Riku was worried that past events were starting to repeat themselves.

The last time his home vanished, Kairi's body was found, but her heart was missing. If her heart was gone once again, Riku hoped it was with Sora, but then again, he was worried about the key bearer as well. Why was the key chain to his Keyblade in the cave and why was it broken? Did Sora fight whoever opened the door? If that was the case, where was he now?

"You're gonna burn a hole in the floor."

Riku looked up to see Leon standing a few feet in front of him. The silver-haired teen realized his features must have betrayed what was on his mind.

"I'm just...worried about Kairi." Riku said, turning his head towards the bed where his childhood friend still lay.

Leon shook his head and placed a hand on the younger boy's shoulder. "You don't have to try and figure this out on your own. You have friends that you can turn to, all you have to do is ask. Aerith sent a message to the king. He should be here soon."

Riku hated to admit it, but Leon was right. There wasn't much he could do on his own. He glanced over his shoulder at Leon and was about to say something when Cid appeared. "The king's here." Despite the good news, there was a sad tone to his voice.

Riku and Leon headed into Town Square where the king was waiting while Aerith stayed behind to watch over Kairi. Mickey was there, as was Donald and Goofy. When Riku saw them the bad feeling he had earlier returned.

King Mickey waited until everyone had arrived before beginning. "I got your letter and it only confirmed my fears. I saw-"

"Confirmed?! You knew what was going on and you didn't tell anyone?!" Riku blurted out, his temper getting the better of him.

"Hey, take it easy, it's not the king's fault!" Donald quacked, coming to the king's defense, but Mickey merely patted Donald's shoulder.

"It's alright Donald, I don't blame him for being angry." Mickey replied sadly. After taking a deep sigh he decided to let them in on what he and the others had found.

"We should head back to Merlin's first."

...

After everyone had gathered back at the wizard's house Mickey explained where he, Donald and Goofy had been.

* * *

_In cold regions of space the gummi ship was cruising along at full speed. It's three occupants were on a mission and prayed that they weren't too late. Donald was piloting while Goofy handled navigation. _

_"I hope we're not too late!" Goofy exclaimed as he tried to find the destination on the ship's scanners, but what had been there the previous day was no longer showing up on the radar. _

_"Stop saying that! We have to make it!" Donald shouted back, clearly just as worried as his friend. _

_Down in the engine room King Mickey was trying to see what he could do to enhance the engine's performance with Chip and Dale. "Okay, try it now, Chip." Mickey called as he pulled his hand back from the engine's turbine and took out a rag to wipe his hands which were stained with oil. _

_"Roger, Roger!" Chip replied as he scurried over to turn the two knobs and flip the switch while Dale was monitoring the engine's status on the status screen. As the engine hummed to life Dale gave Chip a thumbs up. "She's all in the clear!" He happily stated. _

_"Good work fellas." Mickey praised as he finished wiping off his hands and set the rag down. The two chipmunks saluted as the king headed upstairs. _

_Donald was already nervous, but when the gummi ship began to increase in speed it really ruffled his feathers. "What's going on?!" He shouted as the ship was now going twice as fast as before. _

_"Relax, Donald. I just gave the engines a little power boost." Mickey replied as he came up the stairs. _

_Goofy gulped when he saw what was coming up. "Destiny Islands, dead ahead!" _

_As the ship arrived all three were taken aback at what they saw. The entire world was gone. Only floating bits of debris was left. Up-rooted palm trees, pieces of roofs, broken wood and clumps of dirt were all that was left of the once beautiful paradise. _

_"This is terrible!" Donald voiced aloud. _

_"Garwsh! I hope Sora and the others are okay!" Goofy added. _

_"Let's look for survivors." Mickey replied as they agreed and began flying around the debris field looking for any signs of life. _

_Several hours had passed and they had found nothing, not a single sign that someone had managed to escape. "It's hopeless! Who could have survived this?!" Donald proclaimed, his words choking up. _

_"Don't give up hope, Donald. Maybe everyone just got sent to different worlds. Remember how many people ended up in Traverse Town?" Mickey replied, trying to keep his friend calm. _

_"Yeah, that's where we first met Sora." Goofy added. He then noticed something floating just outside of the window. "Hey, isn't that..." Donald recognized it as well and reached the ship's arm out to retrieve it._

* * *

Mickey held out the item they had found floating in space. It was five seashells stitched together to form the shape of a star. In the center of the star was a small crown and at the top of the star was a drawn image of a boy's face and hair.

Cid blinked as he looked at it. "That looks like..."

"Sora." Riku finished. Everyone looked up at him. "That pendant was his. Kairi gave it to him for good luck and he's always kept it close."

He turned and walked over to Kairi's bedside. He was trying to be strong, but the sudden realization of what finding that pendant could mean only one thing and it was something he didn't want to admit.

Aerith approached him and placed a comforting hand on his shoulder. "It'll be alright. We'll find a way to get Destiny Islands back."

Riku pulled away from her. "You don't get it!" He shouted. He regretted his outburst almost immediately and looked down at the floor.

Mickey stepped forward. "Riku, if you know something, please tell us."

Riku kept looking at the ground for a few moments longer before giving in and letting the others know what he did. He pulled out the silver key chain for the king to see.

"When I was in the cave, I found the door to our world unlocked. I could tell there had been a struggle. I saw a few drops of blood on the stone wall and went to get a closer look when I stepped on this." He handed the charm to the king who also recognized what it was.

"I think Sora fought with whomever opened the door and...I...I think he lost." Riku finished, never taking his eyes off the floor.

Donald and Goofy instantly became worried for their friend. Mickey however tried to keep everyone positive. "I wouldn't give up hope just yet fellas."

The three of them looked over at the king as the mouse smiled back at them. "It's quite possible that Sora was in the cave, it's also possible that he was beaten, but he's not gone and here's all the proof you need." He said as he held up the key chain.

"If Sora was gone then this would have also vanished. Broken or not, the Keyblade as a whole is part of him. If he were to vanish then so would this key chain. All we have to do is find him."

This seemed to do the trick as everyone in the room began to cheer up. Hope returned to Goofy and Donald and even Riku began to see a glimmer of hope.

"That's the easy part." Leon told them, suddenly catching Riku and the King's attention. "The hard part is breaking the news to Kairi when she wakes up and making sure she doesn't lose hope."

"Way to kill the mood Squall." Yuffie sighed.

"It's Leon and I'm only trying to be realistic. Don't forget that she is a princess of heart. We can't just hide the truth from her." He replied flatly.

"We wouldn't think of it," The king told him. "Kairi fought just as hard as the rest of us in that last great battle and I'm confident that she can handle the news, as long as there's hope for Sora I bet she'll be more than happy to help us find him and restore Destiny Islands back to the way it was."

Goofy stepped up to the king. "You're majesty, I was wonderin' if we could...ya know..."

"Go out and look for Sora?" Mickey finished for him. Goofy nodded. "Of course we'll go and look. I've never left anyone behind before and I don't plan to start now." This earned a smile from both Goofy and Donald.

"I'm coming to." Riku added.

"But what about Kairi?" Mickey asked. Wondering if it would be better if someone the girl was close to was nearby when she wakes. Riku felt torn. He wanted to stay with Kairi, but he also knew she would understand if he went searching for someone they both cared about.

"Go ahead, Riku. We'll watch over her." Yuffie promised. Aerith also nodded in agreement.

"We got things covered here and b'sides we know those two are useless without a key bearer to watch over them." Cid chimed in pointing to Donald and Goofy.

"What do ya mean useless!" Donald snorted in annoyance.

"Alright." Mickey replied over everyone in a friendly tone. "Looks like it's the four of us. Let's get goin' before the trail gets too cold."

Riku took one last glance at Kairi, hoping she'd be awake when he returned before following the king out the door. Goofy and Donald followed behind him.

* * *

_**I know there wasn't any action, but it's coming. One of the main villains will make sure of that. I can also see some mild torture in the upcoming chapters, but I won't say who or how many. That would be spoiling it. ;)**_


End file.
